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'Mr. Chunkers' inspires new children's book

A consignment store mascot is the star of a new book climbing the online book sale charts.

LUZERNE, Pa. — On Main Street in Luzerne, inside children's consignment shop Tiny Trends, beyond the racks and racks of clothing, you'll usually find owner Kayla Morcos. Sometimes, if you're lucky, you'll be met by the fluffy, friendly face of Mr. Chunkers.

"He's just the star of the show. I'm kind of just in the background selling clothes, but then also Mr. Chunkers brings a smile on everyone's face," said Morcos.

Mr. Chunkers is a 5-year-old lionhead rabbit who has been coming to this store since he was born. He's become a big draw for customers.

"Some people would actually come in just to for Mr. Chunkers, and if he wasn't here, they'd be like, 'OK, well, let me know the next time he's here.' So, it's just an overall fun, fun thing for everyone," added Morcos.

So fun that Mr. Chunkers inspired the owner's sister, Kellie Rhiel, to write a book about him.

"If he wasn't here, so you took a day off, everyone was asking, 'Where is Mr. Chunkers? What is he doing?' So this book basically illustrates a day in his life if he's not at the store, and his daily habits and his day, what he likes to do. Spoiler alert — it's a lot of naps and a lot of treats and a lot of snacks," said Rhiel.

Rhiel says writing, illustrating, and publishing "Mr. Chunkers's Big Bunny Day" took about two months with the help of her family.

"Everybody had a part in it, and you know, everyone's a part of his life. So, we've just illustrated that in the book," Rhiel explained.

So far, it's been a great success.

"We broke the Top 100 yesterday in nursery rhyme books on Amazon. So, we're super excited about that," said Rhiel. "You could also pick up physical copies here at the store Tiny Trends."

Mr. Chunkers hopes you'll get yourself a copy soon.

Today was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who came out to support Mr. Chunkers’s Busy Bunny book release📚🐰🥕

Posted by Tiny Trends on Saturday, January 21, 2023

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